Dancing on the Roof
by cloverish
Summary: Hαley's α young girl whose fαther's α drunken gαmbler. She sees herself hαving to hαnd her hαppiness αwαy to α strαnger so she cαn stαy neαr her fαmily. NALEY. Obviously AU.
1. Chapter 1

_This may have been written before, I don't know.. just hope you'll give it a shot anyway and enjoy as much as you can._

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**Dancing on the Roof.**

**Chapter one.**

Jimmy James was a _drunk_. And that everybody knew, what they didn't know was the fact that, not only Jimmy James was a drunk, but he was also an _idiot_. Despicable, disgusting drunken idiot.

It was poker game that night, and back at home everyone knew he'd come back completely wasted, and they'd have to give up yet another sound system, or even the television in the sitting room they haven't even been able to finish paying.

The poker game held place once a month, and that was right when Jimmy received his salary. And it'd all be gone within a couple of hours of alcohol and gambling. He always lost, his wife, Lydia didn't know why he kept on gambling, he'd always lose, come home wasted, and they'd have a fight. Once he sobered up he'd apologize, she would accept it and everything would be normal again until the next month.

Vicious cycle that was.

That night was supposed to be no different, but all of Jimmy's money was gone within the first half hour of the game, not having anything else to bet… he bet something that was really important to him, but while drunk, he had forgotten the meaning of it. He bet it and just like every other night, he lost it.

It must've been around three in the morning when Jimmy reached the driveway of his house, making loud tire noises as he parked. He got out of the car, tripped over one foot but made his way towards the porch.

Lydia waited in the kitchen, taking some migraine pills in advance.

Jimmy opened the door, scared of what he had done. He needed to fix it, no matter what.

"Where is she?" he questioned, entering the front door.

Lydia emerged from the kitchen with a cup of chamomile tea. She looked at her husband questionably.

"Where is she?!" louder this time, frightening his wife.

"She's upstairs, sleeping." Jimmy's face grew pale. What did he do? What did he do?

"What did you do this time, James? What are we going to lose this time?!" she asked, infuriated. Jimmy looked up the stairs, and Lydia immediately figured.

"No you didn't! You didn't do this James! Tell me you didn't!!" Jimmy gulped. He did it. He had officially lost his mind.

Lydia ran into her daughter's room before her husband was able to, she opened the door and went to shake her daughter awake. But to her surprise… the bed was empty, the window as open and a sheet hung from it.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Haley James was a sweet girl. She was now sixteen, and waiting for her next birthday. Mum had said if they were financially okay, Haley should be getting a car for her seventeenth birthday. Haley knew she probably wouldn't get it, but she didn't mind. She still hoped.

The girl knew what day was today, and she also knew what the consequences were. Generally she'd stay home, wait for the fight to end and then she would comfort her mother, as she has done since she was ten. Every month, in that same day, it would all be the same. As she grew older, she grew tired of it all together.

And tonight she decided she couldn't and wouldn't take it.

She ran away. But only for the night.

"Luke," the girl opened the door to her best friend's room. She knew if she were lucky he would've left it open for her. And he did.

The blond boy was sound asleep in his bed. Haley silently closed and locked the door, she placed her bag on his computer desk and took off her jacket and shoes. She looked over at her friend and sighed, gently getting in bed next to him.

"Haley," he whispered groggily, slightly awake.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm sorry, I just couldn't take it again." She whispered back, snuggling up to him. He nodded his head and opened his arms and she settled down and went to sleep.

While that, in another part of that small town, Nathan Scott was having a drink with his friends. Nathan, aged 22 had just finished college. He'd soon take off to California where he would play professional basketball. Coming from a very rich family Nathan grew up having everything he wanted, in exchange he had to become the greatest basketball player to ever inhabit the world, or so his father said.

It was no news to anyone at all that Nathan Scott was a rebel. And newsflash that Nathan wasn't ever and never intended to be a one-girl guy. Every woman that chose to cross love paths with him had to know that either he was with another girl, or that she was, in fact, the other girl.

The tall man sat down in a table next to his friend, a scotch shot in his hand.

"So, how's the band doing, Jake?" He asked sitting down next to his friend.

"It's all good. We've got a new lead singer, she's pretty young, but oh that girl can sing!" Jake said in awe.

"And who would that be?" Peyton asked her boyfriend, moving a little bit closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Her name's Haley James." Nathan made a face.

"Never heard about her."

"Of course you wouldn't have, Nathan, she's not a hooker." Peyton laughed. "Wait? Is she the short one that works for Karen at the café?"

"That's the one," Jake smiled, playing with a blond lock from Peyton's head. Peyton's eyes bulged.

"I can't believe it. She's my little sister's best friend; she's like, the quietest thing on earth."

"She can be, put place a guitar on that girls' hands and you'll see what she's got. Actually, I was wondering if you could book the Tric sometime, in the afternoon so we can rehearse?"

"Sure," The blond woman nodded.

"So, Nathan, who's the latest bimbo?" Jake asked laughing, as he eyed a red headed girl glaring towards their table, eyes never leaving Nathan.

Nathan looked behind his shoulder and groaned.

"We had a one night stand, one night! One! And now she follows me like a puppy dog! Don't women know the meaning of one night stands?" He babbled frustrated. Which was weird, Nathan never babbled, if ever, Nathan didn't speak at all sometimes. He was the typical monosyllable guy. Unless he was fighting with his dad.

Noticing the girl wouldn't ever stop glaring at him, he sighed and got up, walking towards her.

"Rachel,"

"Nathan," she said huskily, playing with the hem of his shirt in advance.

"What are you doing here?" He asked frustrated.

"What? Can't come and play anymore?" she bit her bottom lip in an attempt of looking sexy, but Nathan could see beyond that.

Seeing at this chit chat wouldn't get her anywhere, Rachel simply reached up and kissed him deeply. Nathan broke away, angrily, and walked towards his friends.

"I'm leaving." He announced and walked away, past Rachel. She looked incredibly shocked;

"You coming, or not?" he asked, never looking back. Rachel smiled to herself and walked up behind him.

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_It doesn't take much to leave a review. Thank you. I just got to edit some minor errors I only just found._


	2. Chapter 2

_I'd like to thank everyone who has been reviewing, the responses have been amazing. Keep it up you guys!_

_In my opinion I updated this real quick, please don't get used to it!_

_Enjoy your reading._

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**Dancing on the Roof**

**Chapter two.**

In the next morning Haley woke up to a loud noise coming from the kitchen. She opened her eyes and groaned; it was way too early to be up on a Saturday. She looked at the clock in the nightstand just to figure it was almost midday.

She looked at her surroundings and realized she was in Lucas' room. But if she was in Lucas' room, why did the yells in the kitchen belong to her parents? The girl got up immediately and opened the door that led to the hall. She peeked through it, and heard her parents arguing with one another, but talking to Karen.

"Jimmy, I would never ever expect such thing from you." Karen's voice sounded so disappointed, it made Haley's heart sink. What had he done this time?

"I'm sorry, I-" he begged, his expression blank, his voice failing.

"You sure as hell should be sorry! You need treatment and there's no way you aren't getting it now! Jimmy, betting your own daughter!" Lydia's voice was loud and clear, but it cracked in the end, and then failed to leave her throat.

Still inside Lucas' room, Haley panicked; what the hell were they talking about? Curiosity spread through her body and she peeked again.

"Calm down, Lydia, we'll figure something out. It's not like one can actually bet a child, that's not something you can simply give away." Karen tried to reason them.

"Th-they made me sign something." Jimmy's face grew paler, if that was even possible. "Something that makes her belong to him." He gulped.

The blond girl panicked, should she confront them? Should she just leave and beg to god it was a dream? Or rather, a nightmare.

"Breakfast?" a voice came from behind and Haley literally jumped, knocking the nightstand over.

"Shit!" she mumbled.

"Haley? What's going on, are you eavesdropping?" Lucas laughed at his friend, but the smile was soon gone when he was the look in her face.

"Sush!" she demanded, leaning over the door.

"Where are the papers?! You can't have been dumb enough not to have kept a copy. Oh, no, wait! You were stupid enough to bet away our daughter; of course you were dumb enough not to keep it!!" Lydia yelled.

Haley had never seen her mother so worked up. Ever. Haley closed the door and let tears run down her face, not even bothering to wipe them up.

"I can't believe he did this." She chocked.

Lucas moved to comfort her, but she shook her head and untangled herself from his embrace. She quickly grabbed her shoes, jacket and bag and soon she was out. Running, she realized she didn't have a place to go. She couldn't go home, that's where she was supposed to be in the first place.

She ran with all her might, not knowing where it would take her, until _she _couldn't take it anymore, and cried herself to exhaustion. In front of a red door.

She glanced up with her watery eyes and decided she was there for a reason.

Frantically, she knocked on the door until a blond figure opened it.

"Is Brooke home?" Haley's voice cracked. The blond woman, Peyton, looked at the miserable girl in shock. She stepped inside to let the girl in.

"She's in her room," before Peyton was able to say another word the small blond girl took off, running upstairs into her friend's room.

Haley opened the door to Brooke's room with such despair that the other girl jumped.

"Haley, what's going on? What happened? Why are you crying?" Brooke asked all at once, jumping from her bed to embrace her best friend.

"You know what day it is today, right?" Haley asked as she sniffed, her nose stuffed. The brunette nodded. It was impossible not to know.

"I'm sure it's not that bad, no one would bet Mr. Waffles." Brooke joked, when they were ten, Haley had revealed that she would die if her father ever bet Mr. Waffles, because he always lost. And that little girl was pretty serious.

"I don't care about Mr. Waffles right now, Brooke. It's worse! It's much, much worse!" The blond girl sobbed in Brooke's arms. The last one panicked.

"What? What did he lose this time, Haley? You're scaring me, hunnie." Brooke tried to wipe some tears from her friend's face, but she jerked away, turning around to face the wall.

"Me," she looked down the floor embarrassed, and then turned around again as her friend gasped. "He bet me, Brooke!" The girl gasped again, "And guess what? He lost me!"

"But he can't! You're not something bet-able! Haley!"

Haley started pacing on the room, frantically.

"Well, guess what? He already did!" Haley cried out. "This is unbelievable! It can't be happening, it just… it can't!" and soon she was off, crying like a baby yet again. She was so disappointed she couldn't measure words to express it.

Brooke embraced her friend tightly; and sat down on her bed, and left Haley to cry on her lap. And Haley soon passed out from exhaustion.

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"Who was it?" Jake enquired curiously as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"That was Haley; she looked like she'd been crying for a long time." Peyton explained worriedly. She just shrugged it off as they walked to the living room.

"So, did you book us Tric?" Jake asked, placing a hand on his girlfriend shoulder pushing her gently towards the living room.

"Sure, I'm just not sure you lead singer will be in shape to rehearse though." She added looking up the stairs as Brooke gently crept from her room to the hall, and then downstairs.

"Hey, Brooke. Is she okay?" Peyton questioned her little sister and noticed she has also probably shed some tears.

"Yes, she's… no. She's miserable!" Brooke said angrily, yet not loud. "I can't believe he'd do such thing, that's just not humanly possible!" the brunette started rambling away.

"Owa, Brooke, slow down, what happened?" Peyton tuck her foot under her leg as she straightened herself to look at her sister.

"Her monster of a father decided money wasn't enough to bet on a poker game and decided to bet away his own daughter!" Brooke said, soon she slapped a hand to her mouth, she wasn't sure if that was supposed to be kept a secret.

"What?!"

"Not so loud, Peyton!" The youngster started desperately. "I'm not sure if I was supposed to tell you that, so keep your mouth shut!"

"But, wait, what is she going to do? What's going to happen?"

"That's a huge question mark." Brooke whispered, loudly enough for them to hear while she looked away.

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"There must be a clause in this that allows you to break this… what can I call it, contract?" Keith said, while looking at the documents Jimmy had, thankfully, kept a copy.

"How am I supposed to know? I didn't read it!" Jimmy stated angrily.

"Of course you didn't read it; you were drunk out of your mind! If you had been able to read a shit you'd probably have been able to think twice before losing Haley on a fucking poker game!" Lydia said harshly and went towards the kitchen, Karen in tow.

"Where is Haley, anyway? Lucas said she spent the night, but she left before lunch and hasn't seen her ever since."

Lydia sighed, pressing her head in her palms. "I don't know." She whispered.

"I don't know a thing, I don't know where she is and most of all: I don't know what I'm going to do without her, Karen. How could've he been so selfish? Bet away a child's life."

"What if you simply… not give her away, what can they do?" Karen questioned.

"These aren't just simple gamblers, Karen. I've told Jimmy to stay away from them a million and three times, he never listens… they're powerful… if they can't have Haley, they'll probably kill Jimmy, or even Haley." And with that, Lydia finally broke down in tears.

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"I hate this!" Haley mumbled, throwing Brooke's pillow on the wall.

"I would also hate if my dad bet me away." Brooke stated sympathetically as she walked into the room holding two mugs of hot chocolate.

"That sucks too, but I meant this, Brooke." She motioned and pointed herself out. "I'm miserable, that's a first to me. I never cried this much before and I feel stupid. And ashamed, and angry and… god, Brooke. What am I gonna do? I mean, I don't even know who I belong to anymore." She laughed, bitterly. She accepted the mug her friend offered and took a sip of the hot liquid.

"There has to be away out of this, Haley. Think about it." Brooke sat down next to her friend. "Did you talk to your parents about it?"

Haley sighed.

"Honestly? I don't think I want to even look at them right now."

Brooke just nodded and decided to leave it.

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"I think I may have found something." Keith announced, reading the fourteenth page of said contract. "Something that allows you to break the contract, it's not going to be easy though… and it'll most likely be as giving your daughter away, anyway. Or worse, it'd be like selling her." Keith sighed, and Lydia decided to look it up. She'd do anything to keep her daughter away from Daunte's dirty hands.

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_As you can see chapter two focuses on Haley and how she's dealing, we're wondering where Nathan comes into the story? Figure out next chapter! ;) now be nice and click the reviewing button! Can be short and direct, or nice and long. I don't mind, I like them all ;D_

_I've got amazing reviews and I'm really glad, but I've noticed I've got more people on the alert than sending reviews. What does it take, you're already clicking the buttons to put me on your alert, it's not really hard work to just type a simple 'I like it'. But I'm actually glad I'm on so many people's alert. Thank you all ;D_


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm sorry this chapter is kind of small, and kind of just a filler, not really eventful. I've been having some muse problems! Can't tune anything out right now. I just got to write the last scene, I wanted to add more to it, but unfortunately, no brain juice came out tonight. I've got some pretty good scenes in mind but I like to write them in sequence, and as everyone knows sometimes we just need a filler... that's what this is._

_Hopefully next chapter will come out soon. And hopefully again, it'll be filled with good answers. You guys have been amazing with the reviews, please keep them coming. Some of you guessed right, some of you guessed wrong. You'll figure out in the next chapter of Dancing on the Roof._

_Happy reading._

**Dancing On The Roof.**

**Chapter 3 – We've got songs to play.**

"I talked to Brooke on the phone; she said Haley's been there for a while." Lucas announced as he entered the living room. Karen had prepared coffee and cookies, but no one seemed to have the stomach to even touch them.

"How is she?" Lydia pleaded through her teary eyes.

"Honestly?" Lucas sighed, "She's crushed. But Brooke's taking her to Tric, she got in this band with Peyton's boyfriend, they're going to rehearse. Maybe after that, when she's lightheaded she'll go back home. Hopefully." He explained, making his way towards the door. "I'll be back later."

Lucas grabbed his jacket and barged through the door, making his way towards his mother's club. As he got there Peyton was already opening the club, she had just recently been promoted to manager, but really, it was like she owned that place, and she took care of it as if it was her child.

A very silent Haley sat on the stairs, waiting for Peyton to say it was okay to come in. She hugged her jacket tightly.

Haley had decided she wouldn't tell people about her, hm, condition. So she tried to keep herself together for the sake of her sanity.

"Okay, everything's set!" Peyton announced by the door, and the band soon vanished inside the building. Haley sighed and hugged her knees.

"Hey, you okay?" Jake asked, offering a hand to help her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A bit nervous, I guess." She smiled shyly taking his hand.

Jake knew she was lying as much as he knew he shouldn't pick on the subject. After all, he had no clue if it was supposed to be kept a secret, but if Haley didn't open her mouth, well he wouldn't either.

"Okay, we can start with a cover everybody knows. Just so we can see what's good and what's not." Jake asked, setting up his electric guitar. Everyone nodded.

"How about 'That's All Right'?"

"Too old, Chris." Evan, the drummer, complained

"I don't think I can do any Elvis stuff at all." Haley said, sitting down on the edge of the stage. Chris narrowed his eyes at her and she just looked away, feeling a shiver down her spine. Not the good kind of shiver though. She felt like she didn't belong.

"How about 'When The Stars Go Blue'?" Chris piped in again.

"That's a duet, moron!" Peyton meddled, walking towards Haley with a glass of water and sugar. "You look pale. Drink this, it'll make you better." She offered the glass and Haley gladly accepted it, swallowing small sips of the sweet liquid.

"I'll sing with her!" Chris said a little too fast. Jake looked at him weirdly and just laughed. Haley stared uncomfortably, hoping the rest of the band would simply pick another song. But to contrary to her hopes… they decided to accept it. _Yayness_.

She unwillingly got up, handed the half full glass back to Peyton, and got on stage. As soon as she did Chris smirked and handed her one of the microphones. The girl groaned, questioning herself if she really wanted that. And surprisingly the answer was written all over her mind and body. _Yes._

--- ---- ----- -----

"Back to how we can save my daughter!" Lydia interrupted the conversation abruptly, waving the contract in her hands. She placed it down on the counter.

Keith sighed, and ran a hand all over his face, from forehead to chin.

"It's not going to be easy." He warned.

"I don't care if it's easy or not. I just want my little girl to stay with me!" Lydia replied a little louder than she had planed. "Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that; you're already doing more than me or Jim." She apologized. "And I don't know how to thank you." She added.

"You can thank me once we have Haley stay." Keith decided to once again analyze the fine print of the paper.

"What does it say again?" Karen asked, sitting down on one of the chairs of the counter.

"It says that if he lost the game one of his unmarried daughters will have to be given away…"

"Wait, isn't Taylor also unmarried?" Karen's eyes lifted towards the woman in front of her. Lydia shook her head. It wasn't as if she wanted to exchange the positions between Haley and Taylor, it would be just as bad, but that meant Taylor could also be in danger.

"Eloped. Two months ago." Lydia let her friend know. Karen simply 'oh-ed'.

"What else does it say?" Jim asked. He should've been the one to read the whole thing, but nope. Stupidly enough, he didn't.

"It says that the 'prize' can be exchanged for the 'small' amount of two million dollars." Keith replied, placing his head in his hands. It was useless. Even with mortgage… and not even selling all of their souls they'd be able to get that amount of money.

"When is he coming to… uh… claim her?" Keith felt bad about saying those words; a person just wasn't something you can claim.

"Next month. The game day." James said looking down.

"Okay, that'll give us some time to figure things out." Karen said positively. Kindly trying to cheer the couple up. "Why don't you both go, and get some rest. I think Haley should be here for a while. I'm sorry but I don't think she'll want to see either of you right now."

Lydia and Jim nodded sadly, but understanding.

"Don't worry; I'll explain everything to her. We'll figure something out, okay?" Karen hugged her friends goodbye and soon they left.

As soon as they were out of the door Karen started to panic.

"Who am I kidding? How do we explain to a child that next month she'll belong to some kind of monster?! That's not a thing that happens every day!"

"Honestly? I have no idea, Karen." Keith took his wife in his arms and they just hoped for the best.

--- ---- ---- ----

"Rachel, get the hell out." He snapped, a towel safely tucked on his waist, a smaller one in his hands as she mindlessly ran it through his wet hair.

"What? Why?" the red haired was sprawled in his bed, tangled among the sheets. Nathan groaned.

"Just go away, damn it! I don't want you here!"

Rachel got up, not even minding to cover herself up with one of the sheets; she kneeled on the bed and ran a hand through his wet chest. "You didn't seem to think so half an hour ago." She smirked as her hand kept playing with his body.

"Well, now I don't want you! Get lost!" he snapped, slapping her hand away. The naughty smile vanished from her face and now she looked grumpy.

Rachel took her time finding her clothes around the room; she put them on with much effort and walked away, shoes in her hands.

Nathan simply sat on his bed and sighed. He was tired of it. Tired of all of it.

'_Remind to change the sheets._'

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_Just had to say, I only just started writing the next chapter, and dude, it's good! ;D even though i'm suspicious to tell you the truth. If you review you'll get a cookie!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you everyone for your reviews. I love them. I was quite sad because the review rate dropped, but then I figured it might be because it was just a filler. Now here goes a real chapter. Don't be mad, it is all for the greater good. I have a nice couple of surprises coming up on the next chapter. And for everyone who has been reviewing… I LOVE you. Keep it up guys._

_I also apologize for any typos in this chapter. I just wrote it real fast and now I have no desire of reading in intently, because I'll most likely get bored, or try and change half of it. I will eventually fix them up sometime between now and the end of the world._

_Happy reading!_

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**Dancing on the Roof.**

**Chapter 4.**

Lucas brought Haley back to his house after the rehearsal; they walked in silence through the small avenues of Tree Hill, just as the sun decided to set.

The comfortable silence they always shared in times like this seemed to now become unbearable.

She hadn't opened her mouth ever since she closed it, after the last note to the last song the band played that afternoon.

Luke just stopped walking, and stared at her. She kept walking for a while until she noticed there was no presence near her. She stopped right on track, and turned around on her heels. He looked deeply into her eyes, questioning her.

The short blond girl simply shook her head, and stroke back the five steps that separated them. He instinctively opened his arms, and embraced her tightly.

"What am I going to do?" she asked softly, her arms tightly snaked around his neck.

"I don't know, Haley. But we'll figure things out. Mom and dad are trying to, already. Okay?" he softened his grip just enough to be able to look in her eyes again. They were glassy with tears. Of the many that threatened to fall, one did. Lucas quickly wiped it away and smiled down to his friend. "It's going to be okay." He hugged her yet again, and let go.

Then both of them walked towards the house in complete silence… on the outside. Whereas the insides yelled questions that seemed unanswerable at the time.

--- ---- ------

"I got it!" Keith yelled from the living room. He was sitting on the table, many law books spread, the contract pages separated, magnifying glass in one hand. One could seriously think he was playing detective. And truly, he actually felt like it.

Lucas and Haley just walked inside the main entrance to the Scott household as they heard his father's outburst.

Karen came straight from the kitchen with a questioning look. Once she saw Haley she smiled, and embraced the girl.

"What is it?" Karen asked, her arms loosely around her almost-daughter, yet still there in a comforting sort of way.

Keith placed down the magnifying glass and his own glasses. He clutched the contract tightly in his hands.

"I have a couple of plans, either way we can," he started looking at Karen, but then his eyes settled on Haley, assuring her it was really going to be okay. "and will, get you out of this, Bubbly." He grinned at the blond girl and walked through the door, explaining nothing.

Haley smiled softly at her nickname. Only Keith and Lucas would call her that. When she was a kid she used to be the most bubbly and happy little girl ever, when simply the thought of being able to have a cookie before dinner would make her the happiest kid on earth. It never took too much to praise Haley, that humbleness that would just crash into the room anytime she was near was her trademark. To them, no matter what, she'd always be remembered as that bubbly and babbling little girl in pig tails, smiling widely with a cookie in one hand, and Mr. Waffles in the other.

"What was that all about?" Lucas asked, still standing near his mother and best friend. Haley simply let herself sink into Karen's embrace again.

"Your father's been clutching onto those papers all day long. Reading and re reading doing some researches, trying to find some grammar error that'll actually lead to an ambiguity on the contract." She softly stroked Haley's hair. "It's going to be okay, Haley."

The youngster nodded. "Thank you." She said simply. But both Karen and Lucas just felt how much she meant by it.

--- ---- -----

Keith hopped into his truck and made his way towards his brother's house. He knocked on the door frantically until a tall dark haired figure opened the door.

"Uncle Keith?" Nathan asked surprised, visits from him weren't something that happened quite often, Nathan couldn't help but feel curious towards the reason that led his uncle to his house.

"Hi, Nathan. Is your father home?" Keith simply strode inside the house towards his brother's office.

He barged into the office, the door being unlocked, and was actually surprised to see the scene inside the room.

A red haired young woman sat half naked on top of Dan's desk, kissing him almost desperately. Keith couldn't help but laugh out loud at the scene.

"Boozy! What the hell are you doing here?" Dan pushed the girl away, and immediately started buttoning his shirt back up.

"Need to talk, little brother. You owe me a few favors, and I guess let's just count keeping my mouth shut on this" he waved his hands around "sex game as another one." Keith grinned. Apparently he had the game on his hands.

Dan simply groaned, as pointed the door to Rachel, who frustrated, put her shirt back on, and left.

"What do you want?" Dan sat back on his chair, and straightened his shirt.

"Just a very small favor." He grinned and sat down on one of the extra chairs.

--- ---- ----

"What are you still doing here?" Nathan mumbled as a messy-haired Rachel appeared through the hall.

"Had some business to finish." She said, still buttoning her shirt up. Nathan's eyes widened.

"With my father?" he chocked a laugh, incredulously. The woman looked at him with a twinkle of mystery in her eyes and grinned a reply. Nathan couldn't believe his eyes and laughed bitterly.

If he felt the tiniest bit dirty as soon as he got up from his bed that morning, well it was nothing compared to what he felt at that exact moment.

He simply wished he was on the roof of a high building and that he could push her down, and watch intently as her body hit the ground with a very, very loud thud.

Nathan shook his head, trying to brush those thoughts aside and coldly opened the door to her.

"You want a Scott? Fine. Let it be Dan Scott. Stop following me around like a puppy, okay?" He snapped; Rachel looked at him intently as a smile curled on her lips. She laughed. And he couldn't believe it. No one laughed at Nathan Scott. No one.

"Don't get too high on yourself, Nathan. You are nothing." She smiled wider, patting his shoulder and reaching out to kiss his cheek. With that done, she walked away happily towards her car, parked on the driveway to the Scott Manor.

And Nathan was left there. Speechless… his ego smaller by the minute.

----- ----- ----

Dan laughed really, really loud. He couldn't believe his ears. It must've been some sort of a joke, and to hell with it. He laughed with all his might.

"This isn't a joke!" Keith furiously hit his hand on the mahogany table, making a loud noise.

"But it does seem like one." Dan simply kept cracking up. Keith's blood rushed to his face and seemed to boil.

"I said this fucking isn't a stupid joke!" His voice seemed louder and much angrier now. Keith was already kind of humiliating not only himself but his friends in front of his ass of a little a brother, and all Dan could do was laugh at him.

"I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do." Dan tried to keep his face straight and serious. Succeeding for no more than 30 seconds.

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Keith asked incredulously.

"I'm not standing in between a drunken gambler and Daunte. It may not seem so, but I do praise my life. I'm way too young and handsome to die!" Dan winked, and it only seemed to get the situation to a worse level.

"We are talking about a kid here, Daniel. A kid. Who has nothing to be blamed for."

"She's sixteen, obviously not a kid anymore. She can drive; she can run over a person; she can to go jail for it, to hell with it she can pay for the consequences!"

"But she didn't do anything, Dan. Try to understand it. We're just trying to help. I, myself that can do absolutely nothing about it am trying to help. But you that can help won't do a shit about it. Praise your life as much as want, and step over people. That's what you do the best." Keith got up from his sit, his face red in anger. Matching his brother's at the mention of stepping over people.

"Now, you owe me that much, Daniel. You owe me and you know it."

All that blood that made Dan's face red just a minute ago seemed to drain, leaving his pale. He knew exactly what his brother was talking about. Something that took him too much to keep a secret.

"Think about it." Keith said simply, turning on his heels and heading to the front door.

Dan followed him suit. But could do nothing as Keith politely closed the door of his residence and left.

The tall man turned around to see his son coming down the stairs, a few suitcases in his hands.

"I'm going back." He muttered.

"The apartment is not ready yet. You can't go back." Dan stated, walking towards the bar to get himself a shot of whiskey.

"I can live with a little bit of paint."

Nathan had been living with his parents for the past few weeks. For a fact, he lived on his own, in a very pleasant apartment of three bedrooms. It was actually the penthouse of the one and only high society home building of Tree Hill. But he had decided it needed a change, therefore, painting the whole place seems like the first, and best idea, so he decided to crash at his parent's for a while.

But now he had had enough of it.

"Suit yourself." Was all Dan said before gulping the whole shot all at once. Nathan knew his father couldn't care less, and just left towards the place he now called home.

-------- --------- --------------

Keith got home to find Karen, Haley and Lucas sitting in the family room.

Lucas was reading one of the many copies of the paper his father had left. Haley was curled up in a tight ball, munching on a cookie. Karen didn't know what to do, but she tried to make that silence that filled the room feel a little bit more comfy.

"Anything?" Karen asked her husband, inviting him to sit on the couch next to her. Both Haley and Lucas looked up at him, full of hope.

Keith, for a fact, didn't know if he had gotten something out of his talk with his little brother, but he knew he had affected Dan somehow, he just didn't know if it was enough.

"I talked to Dan," that was all it took for Haley to widen her eyes in shock; she choked on her cookie, and coughed loudly.

"Not that I don't appreciate this or anything, but how is it that Dan can help me? I know he would never part with his money or anything, so why bother?" Haley hugged her knees. It was no surprise to anyone that Dan Scott loved his money more than life it self.

"He owes me for a couple of things, Haley. Now I don't know what I got from him, but I can definitively say I got something."

"But what if you don't?" Lucas asked, looking up from the papers he'd been reading for the past half hour.

"Well, I have a couple of ideas that might actually work."

"I'm all ears." Haley said softly, shifting her position on the couch so she was sitting Indian style.

"The first thing was trying to get the money, from Dan. Now I'm not sure what we've got there, but I'll talk to him again in a week." Haley nodded, silently.

"Your father said they are coming to pick you up on a game day," Keith continued and Haley panicked. They were coming to pick her. They actually were coming, she hadn't known when, and it seemed awkward that only now it was sinking. She was actually going away.

Keith saw the girl flinch and soon took back what it said. "It's a supposition, Haley. They're not taking you away. Now, on the game day we can try and pursue Daunte to bet you back on the game. And hope with all our might that your father can win you back." His voice died in his throat just then.

"What if he can't win me back? For all I know my father's been loosing theses games since he ever started playing them, and odds are he's going to loose again."

"I'll marry you." Lucas said simply. Haley and Karen both gasped.

"Excuse me, what?" Haley asked out of breath.

"I'll marry you. It says your father will have to give away an unmarried daughter." He lifted up the papers, Haley outstretched her hands, reaching for them and Lucas gave them to her. "But if you get married then he won't be able to take you away, because he has to follow the contract, even though he is a marginal."

Haley looked from the papers in her hand to her best friend. She smiled softly and took his hands in hers.

"Thank you." She whispered.

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_Happy reviewing!_


	5. Chapter 5

_I apologize for my lack of updates; I've been Internet-less for a while, trying to settle down in my new apartment, it's been three weeks and I didn't even have the time to go grocery shopping yet, let alone get internet installed. But hey, it's here now. _

_I have a request to make. I've been trying to work on chapter 6 to this story, but all I keep getting are first chapters to new stories, but I don't want to post them yet, not before I get some real substance going on and know that I'll probably be able to finish them within the year. So I was hoping that maybe, just maybe one or other of you would like to give a look at it, see if it hasn't been done before or something, or just figure out if it has potential or not. _

_I'll most probably need someone with a good grammar to help me out, so if you'd like to just send me an e-mail, IM through MSN or just send a private message and I'll contact you shortly giving you the summaries so you can hopefully pick one and read it out, well, not that shortly since I'm still internetless and having to make do with one hour of internet per week at a local lan house.. _

_As for the reviews I got to the last chapter, I apologize you had a question to be answered and didn't get it. I don't remember which reviews I replied and which I didn't, so please, if you have any questions, just ask again! Rambling aside, I'd like to thank you all and wish a: _

**Happy reading. **

**--- --- --- **

**Dancing on the Roof. **

**Chapter five. **

Haley James, oh, wait, now it is Haley James-Scott entered her new room and silently sat on her new bed. It wasn't exactly new but this was the bed she was supposed to share with her husband.

She felt weird, sitting there in her simple white gown.

Haley James was now a married woman. Which was weird since she didn't even feel like a woman yet, let along a married one.

"Your mother dropped your stuff by this morning. Possibly sensing this would be the last resort." She had never noticed how deep and strong his voice was. He was definitively handsome, and very, very charming. But she promised herself she wouldn't be admitting it to him anytime soon, from now till ever.

She looked up to him and nodded. She felt so young and childish, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"I'll let you sleep now. It's late. There are a few extra blankets in the closet, if you feel cold."

Haley nodded again. Even though this was a huge turmoil she knew should feel grateful. Even if he was nothing but a stranger, he kind of saved her from someone evil. And from her father, even.

"Nathan?" She called; her voice barely above a whisper.

The tall man turned on his heels, and looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." She looked at him, in the eye. He averted her eyes and nodded silently. Soon leaving the room that was once his, settling himself down on a bunk bed in the guestroom.

**A Month Ago. **

"What if he can't win me back? For all I know my father's been loosing these games pretty much ever since he started playing them, and odds are he's going to loose again."

"I'll marry you." Lucas stated simply. Haley and Karen both gasped.

"Excuse me, what?" Haley chocked out of breath.

"I'll marry you. It says your father will have to give away an unmarried daughter." He lifted up the papers, Haley outstretched her hands, reaching for them as Lucas passed them over. "But if you get married then he won't be able to take you away from us, because he has to follow the contract, even though he is a marginal."

Haley looked from the papers in her hand to her best friend. She smiled softly and took his hands in hers.

"Thank you." She whispered. "But I am absolutely NOT letting you ruin your life over this. Ruining mine is already enough, okay? Not to mention, you're with Brooke, and she's also my best friend. I wouldn't do that to you or to her for that matter. We'll just… have to figure something else out okay?"

The weekend flew by, with them trying to figure 'something else' to get Haley out of trouble. Lucas made her a list of possible ways out.

**1**- Finding enough money to buy her back.

**2**- Getting her father to actually win her back in the game. But certainly not before getting (and by that he meant blackmail) Daunte to bet her.

**3**- Getting married, but not before actually finding someone to get her married to.

Lucas had called Brooke, with Haley's consent, and explained the new details. Once they reached school the following Monday, Brooke had a colorful stand, with a desk and a chair, and there she was, selling muffins and cupcakes, to 'save an innocent life'.

Haley didn't know whether to laugh at her friend's idea, or to be grateful and help. She settled for laughing while helping her friend, which was actually helping herself.

"Okay, so we have a month to try and get the money. Lucas said his father's trying to get something out of his brother. And I hope you don't mind, I told my sister, as a hypothetical situation," she lied quickly, once she saw the disapproval in her friends eyes. "Then she didn't believe me and I said it was a friend of a friend on mine, and it's actually true, since Lucas is my boy**friend**, therefore a friend, the best kind, might I add. But that's beside the point, anyway, you're his best friend, so there you go." Brooke, herself, looked more confused then the two listening to her story. "Anyway, she's organizing a special thing at Tric, with Karen's consent, and all the profit will be given to the 'Save Haley Cause'. Don't worry, we don't actually call it that." The brunette flashed a toothy grin and added in a hurry, "at least not in public…"

Haley smiled, thankful and sat down on a chair, helping with the cupcakes.

"But guys, what if we don't get enough money? It's all going to be a total and complete waste of time." She whispered, concerned. She knew it must have sounded selfish, but hey, a girl has got to love her life and freedom!

"We're already working on it." Brooke added in a business-like tone, and scratched something on her pink fluffy notebook, a grin plastered on her face.

**Present Time. **

Haley James, oh, wait, now it is Haley James-Scott entered her new room and silently sat on her new bed. It wasn't exactly new but this was the bed she was supposed to share with her husband.

She felt weird, sitting there in her simple white gown.

Haley James was now a married woman. Which was weird since she didn't even feel like a woman yet, let along a married one.

"Your mother dropped your stuff by this morning. Possibly sensing this would be the last resort." She had never noticed how deep and strong his voice was. He was definitively handsome, and very, very charming. But NO, this was her best friend, she couldn't possibly be starting to have feelings from him, especially not when they had settled for this cover marriage, as he'd still be seeing Brooke. An annulment would soon follow, within a couple of months, as planned.

She looked up to him and nodded. She felt so young and childish, biting her bottom lip nervously. She wondered what the next step would be… Lucas came closer to his now lover, lowering his head, eyes closed, lips out.

"I love you, Haley James."

Haley woke up in the middle of the night. She didn't recognize the room she was in; her heart started beating so fast she thought that if tachycardia killed, she'd be six feet under at that exact moment. That was, of course, a courtesy of her creepy dream. More like a nightmare.

Some would say being married to your best friend (if only a best friend) wouldn't be as much of a bad thing. But she felt insanely disgusted by the thought of Lucas saying he loved her.

Never more would she be able to ear those words without blushing, not a good kind of blush, the humiliating kind.

She untangled herself from the sheets and made a beeline towards the kitchen, uncertain of the exact way to get there yet. Haley ended up bumping into something, or rather, someone on the way.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." She apologized quickly, and the other figure who had hours before been so nice to her, simply sent an icy glare her way.

Both started walking at the same time, causing yet another bump. She smiled a yellowish smile and stepped backwards, giving him space to pass.

"You snore." He stated simply, reaching out for some milk out of the fridge.

"I do not!" She protested, blushing violently.

"Yeah, you do. I could hear it all the way from the guestroom." He informed her grumpily, making sure she knew the reason why he wasn't asleep. But he knew it was only just because he had to give his bed to a stranger.

Nathan drank from his now filled glass of milk, offering her the bottle with his free hand. Haley declined.

"No thanks, I'm allergic."

"No one is allergic to milk."

"Well, I am."

"You're weird."

"You're childish."

"I married you, didn't I? I'm either childish enough to agree to this stupid plan, or eternally drunk."

"Jeez, I feel the love in this room."

"Well, you shouldn't. Because there's none."

Nathan left his empty glass on the sink and turned on his heels, leaving Haley alone in the kitchen.

"Well, that was polite." She said out loud.

"Your sarcasm doesn't frighten me, little one." She heard Nathan's voice coming from the other end of the apartment. Haley pouted and stomped back into her bedroom.

When she next woke up, the sun was shinning through her open window, even though it was chilly. Haley got up from her bed, warmly tucked in the bedspread as she walked to one of her clothing bags.

It was a school day today, she didn't really feel like going to school, but she'd do anything to get away from that apartment, that new world she now belonged, but did she belong, really?

She'd rather loose herself in her own parallel world for the rest of the day.

Haley chose a pair of jeans, a sweater and a warm coat from her bag, placing them ever so neatly on her bed. Stepping back, she let the bedspread fall to the floor as she took off the upper set of her PJs, exposing herself. A tall frame entered the room without knocking and the small girl let out a scream.

"What are you doing?!" she covered herself quickly with the bedspread. Her heart beating a million times per second. There she was again, thinking about dying of tachycardia.

"Just because I'm letting you sleep here doesn't mean the room is all yours. My clothes are still here." He walked towards his closet and sent a cheeky smile her way.

"You know, the content may be a little rotten, but the package is still pretty good." He let her know. A furious blush crept from her neck, to her cheeks and the tip of her ears. Her mouth gapped open and no words seemed to come out. She was usually the one to say any and everything she had in mind. But she opened her mouth and no sound came. Instead, with a hand still clutching the comforter to shield her naked chest, she graded one of the big pillows lying on the bed and sent it flying straight to his head.

If only he hadn't bent down to get some socks from the drawer it would've hit him square in the neck.

"I don't know what's more insulting, the fact that you just said disgusting words to me, or the fact that I'm such a loser I can't even aim and hit you with a stupid pillow." She whispered softly, to herself only and sat back down on the bouncing mattress.

Once Nathan grabbed all the stuff he needed for that morning, he waltzed to the door and looked at her directly in the eye.

"There's a thing called a lock. Try using it next time, sweet melons. Or don't." He winked

Haley grabbed another pillow and was willing to hit him fair and square on the back of the head. Nathan closed the door and the pillow crashed with the wood. She let out a frustrated little scream.

"Sweet melons your ass!!"

"Oh you've noticed!"

"What now, Super Man, hear across walls as well!?"

"No, you're voice is just too damn loud and annoying, you can probably hear it from Japan."

"Just go away already!"

Haley walked through the main doors to Tree Hill High and sighed as many heads turned to stare at her. She tried to let the feeling sink in and hopefully be able to ignore the burning stares of pretty much every pair of eyes. So what, she got married. It's not like people didn't get married everyday. But most sixteen year olds didn't get married everyday, at least not in that small town called Tree Hill.

She walked further, boots clicking the tiled floor; she spotted her best friend cleaning his locker. She neared him and slapped the locker shut.

"Your cousin is a nightmare!"

"Oh, ho, someone got up in the wrong side of the bed." He joked, trying to get her to smile.

"There are no sides of the bed. And that just sounded really wrong." The small girl sighed, leaning against a couple of closed lockers, hugging her books tightly to her chest.

"I just want to go back home to my room." She pouted like a 3 year-old, winning a bear hug from her friend. "Seriously, Luke. I still wonder why."

The boy didn't break the hug but loosened his grip on his best friend.

"I wonder too, Hales. My mom always told me things always happen for a reason, you know."

"My grandmother used to say that." Her eyes lightened up a little at her own mention of a loved relative. Lucas let go of her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Ever wondered if maybe, just maybe Nathan is actually the one for you? I don't like him, I don't like him at all, but you might as well just fall in love, little bird." He stroked her hair lovingly before messing it all up.

"Not funny, Lucas, and ew!" She slapped him across the head, soon turning to fix her hair. "He's a totally disgusting man-whore. I'm just grateful I have my own room and don't have to face him all the time." She blushed deeply at the mention of having her own room, it was almost true, but she did have a couple of run-ins with Nathan, and she wasn't sure if she was grateful for that.

"By the blush I take it as you had to face him quite some times." He laughed as she groaned inwardly.

"So not funny and you don't want to know." She pouted.

"Who doesn't want to know what?" A perky brunette smiled toothily at her best friend and her boyfriend, being her always nosy self.

"Haley's been dumping into Nathan."

"Could you cut the humor, cause honestly, I see none."

"Come on Tutor Girl, he's a hottie." Lucas gave her the evil eye.

"You can keep him, and keep him well away from me, please?" Haley begged, marching towards her locker to dump her things in it.

"Hey!" Lucas protested, but the girls simply ignored.

"I will keep him, without a doubt!" Brooke's eye lit up mischievously.

"Brooke!"

"Lucas, I was joking. Thick head." The brunette stuck her tongue at her boyfriend playfully.

"I'll tell you what to do with that tongue." The boy laughed, cocking an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

"Ew! Not wanting to vomit today!" Haley scrunched her face in a disgusted manner while pointing to herself. "Arrgh! Come on, loaf head, we have literature first period." The blonde girl patted the boy's arm being rather ungentle, bidding her goodbyes to Brooke, and promising to catch up at lunchtime.

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_Hope you enjoyed this chapter, there's a lot more coming, along with new stories. _

_And jeez, I apologize for the gynormous author's note, it was pretty much needed. Oh, oh! Don't forget to review! Thankies. _


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